Process of treating textile materials and article produced thereby.



RAYMOND B. PRICE, OF NEW YORK, N. A SSIGNOR TO RUBBER REGENERATINGCOMPANY, CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

PROCESS OF TREATING TEXTILE MATERIALS AND ARTICLE PRODUCED THEREBY.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

' PatentedJuly 25, 1916.

No Drawing. Original application filed January 19, 191 2, Serial No.672,261. Divided and this application filed May 13., 1915.

' To all whom it may concern:

most. a powder. Whenv this combination is* j -Be it known that I,RAYMOND B. PRrcE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of NewYork, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements ,in Processes .of Treating Textile Materials and ArticlesProduced Thereby, of which the following is a full, clear, andexactdescription.

My invention contemplates the treatment of essentially individual fiberscapable of use in textile work in such fashion that the fibersremainsubstantially parallel and will be practically individually coated andpermeated with binding material.

vThis application is a divisional application of, my prior applicationof the same title filed January 19, 1912, Serial No. 672,261.

In the rubber industry it has been customary to grind rags, orvulcanized or unvulcanized scrap containing fabric, in ordinary rubbermixing mills in order to incor'-' porate the fibers into a plasticrubbery mass, which would be strengthened and stiffened by theincorporation of the fibers. Thus, wearing surfaces for rubber beltshave frequently been made by first grinding unvulcanize'dfriction-coated belt and hose duck in with reclaimed rubber or cruderubber mixtures in the ordinary mixing mill and then calendering thecombination and applying it to the outside of the belt. Somewhatsimilarly, the rag insoles of rubber boots,,which requires to besomewhat stilf and yet slightly flexible, have been made by compoundingunvulcanized or vulcanized friction cloth with other material, thengrinding the combination together, and then calendaring and cutting intothe proper form for use as insoles. In every one of these operations,without exception, the incorporation of the fiber, whether from woven,braided, knit or loose waste, has been done inthe ordinary rubber mixingmill, which sometimes has two rolls running at even speed, but morefrequently at unequal speed. In either case, the fiber is ground andtwisted into knots and ultimately the staple is seriously shortened,both the strength and length of the fiber being affected. In some casesthis grinding is carried to a point where the fiber becomes al- SerialNo. 27,760.

run on the calender there is a tendency of the fibersto assume parallellines in the directlon of the length of the calendered sheet, justascrude rubber itself has a sort of grain in the same direction. Ofcourse,

many of the fibers overlap each other, so

that it is impossible to coat them perfectly, even if pure rubber isused.

I have found that the fibers, under the above described rubberizing, arenot permeated by the rubber, which depositsas a layer on the outside. Itis my present aim to overcome this, which I do b subjectingthe materialto an exhaust which will dis place from the air ducts in the fiber, and

from between individual fibers any volatile desired way in relation toeach other, so that a product may be built up in which some of thefibers will lie" in any desired direction, but all subject'to definiteplan and control.

In carrying out the invention, I contemplate beginning at the firststep, that is to say, to treat the material, such as cotton, before itis worked into a product. Thus, I may take the cotton fibers from thecard-' ing or combing machines, and force the binding material, such asfor instance,rub-

her, into and among the fibers while. subjecting the same to a vacuum todisplace fromf the air ducts of and from between the fibers any volatilematter, expansive gasand the like, and substitute therefore the blndeing material. This operation may be -per formed with or without heat.The resultant product in addition to haying the binding material betweenand holdlng'the fibers together, will have close and direct contact ofthe binding material with the ductsof the fibers.

Assuming such a product to be used in automobile tires to take the laceof the fabric now used, it will be evi out that the ting, bath brushes,belt covers, heels and of the'fibers, although there will be a slightfelting or matting action of the fibers under some conditions.

' In tires, hose and other material the fibers may be laid radially,diagonally, or a combination of ways. a I

This construction can be applied to matsoles, and innumerableotherarticles, and I contemplate using the fibers end on, parallel, and anyother way, just so long as the essential strength and length of thefibers are maintained.

The principle of the invention may be applied-to such material as cottonwaste which has fibers more or: less twisted, but which is capable ofbeing carded or combed'into essentially parallel lines. In this casethere will be some twist in the original strands and my'inventionrelates to the method of 'making them parallel by carding or combing.Similarly, old-cotton duck or woolen fabric may be combed out and theirfibers thusput in essentially parallel directions.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of treating textile material which consists in disposingfibers in substantially parallel relation, and exhausting and treatingthem with a strengthening or binding medium.

2. The process of treating textile material which consists in carding or.combing the material into substantially parallel lines as to its fiber,and exhausting and binding the fibers together by means of astrengthening or binding medium. g

- 3. An article embodying fiber extending in parallel relation, and astrengthening or binding medium in close contact with the ducts of andbetween and holding the fibers together. a 3 I 4. An article'embodyingfibers in groups, wherein the fibers of each group lie parallel witheach other, and a strengthening or binding medium in close contact withthe ducts of and holding the fibers together.

Signed at New York, county and State of New York, this 12th day of May,1915.

RAYMOND 18. PRICE.

